Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021

In the 90’s the Tanzanian government piloted Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) as a national policy framework for community-based conservation. To date, not one of the more than 20 WMAs across Tanzania has generated enough funds to cover management and wildlife protection costs.

For the last decade, Honeyguide has played a vital role in developing successful models of community-based conservation in Tanzania. Since Honeyguide started working, not a single elephant has been killed for its tusks within Honeyguide’s priority sites and crop damage has reduced by 70%.

Our major goal in the next 5 years is to achieve ecological viability and financial independence for our priority sites by 2021 and establish them as strong models of Tanzanian community-based conservation.

Honeyguide understands that delivering this overarching goal will require significant investment in its own institutional strengthening and will dedicate resources and funding over the next five years to building the capacity of its team, diversifying funding streams and solidifying its internal systems.

Theory of Change

Our Theory of Change: In order for wildlife to thrive over vast landscapes with open migratory routes, communities need to take the lead in managing natural resources and in realizing more benefits from those resources. Honeyguide, along with our partners, use a five-program integrated approach to empower communities to realize such positive changes.

Environmental Education: If communities and young people have increased opportunities to receive education about environmental issues, then they will develop a deeper appreciation for conservation initiatives and also be more likely to participate in natural resource management.

Enterprise Development: If communities not only receive greater benefits from tourism but also actually own and manage tourism camps and products and, additionally, enter into clear and transparent agreements with responsible tourism and hunting companies, then their livelihoods will be strengthened and complementary of wildlife conservation.

Management & Governance: If management and governance bodies in WMAs and related community areas can become transparent, accountable, professional, performance-driven, and sustainable, then communities themselves will take greater ownership in striving to ensure the success of community-based conservation programs.

Wildlife & Habitat Protection: If community-based wildlife and habitat protection efforts can be strengthened and scaled through training and data-driven, intelligence-led strategies of VGS teams, then wild animals and their habitats will have a much greater opportunity to thrive and overcome poaching and degradation threats.

Human-Wildlife Conflict Prevention: If communities no longer see wildlife as a threat to their livelihoods, due to a dramatic reduction in human-wildlife conflict through innovative participatory prevention methods, then they will make the first critical step in taking greater management over their natural resources.

“I have worked my entire life in wilderness areas trying to protect the animals and work well with people,” said John Magembe, Honeyguide’s head trainer and anti-poaching commander. “It is what motivates me every day.”

Honeyguide is a grass roots, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Tanzania dedicated to support communities and the conservation of wildlife and natural resources through long-term community partnerships. The African Honeyguide is a bird that actively guides humans (and honey badgers) to beehives; we chose it as our symbol as it is a beautiful example of the symbiotic relationship between humans and wildlife and of successful partnerships in general.